Editor:
I read with interest your March 29 article on the use of Clowhom Lake as a regional water source (“SCRD hears case for Clowhom”). The lake’s 200-sq.-kilometre watershed and glacier-capped mountains make Clowhom a reliable water source. It could supply the needs of the entire Sunshine Coast well into the 22nd century.
Another advantage of Clowhom is the presence of an existing dam and generating station at the lake. This can provide power for pumping using “green” hydroelectric energy.
Also, there is already a road partway to Clowhom to provide access for construction: the Grey Creek road reaches over halfway there from Sechelt.
Of course, there are two problems: how to get the water to us and how to pay for the infrastructure to do so.
As well as the two routes suggested in your article, I suggest another. A pipeline could follow the power line along the south shore of Salmon Inlet, then follow the power line to Sechelt along Grey Creek Road. There is a 620-metre elevation at the top of this route, but hydro electricity for pumping is already available along the entire route. The energy consumed could be regenerated by a generating station in Sechelt. This is similar in principle to regenerative braking in a Toyota Prius.
Unlike the proposals in the article, this option does not involve tunnelling costs and is more accessible for maintenance than a submarine pipeline.
As for cost, this project is within the normal range of cost/benefit for public services. The projected $150 million capital cost to tap Clowhom is $5,000 per Coast resident. At current prime rate of four per cent, and an annual payment of $257 (my current water tax) the project would pay for itself, even without population growth.
Of course, we don’t expect public services to break even by themselves. We pay huge taxes to all levels of government to fund our public amenities.
Like $600 million for the Sea-to-Sky Highway ($50,000 per Whistler resident). Or $514 million for the new BC Place roof ($10,000 per seat).
Successive District of Sechelt, SCRD and provincial governments have totally failed in their obligation to provide us with water. Civic water systems are not rocket science. The Romans figured it out 2,000 years ago. If Roman senators had turned off the water, they would have been fed to the lions. SCRD, take note.
Bruce Woodburn, Sandy Hook
